We'll Never Be Those Kids Again
by WriterofGotham
Summary: How much can five years really change things? Slight drabble.


**We'll never be those kids again.**

Nightwing sighs tiredly as he runs a hand through his messy black hair he hasn't showered in... he's lost count of the days. He never wanted to be leader, not after he realized what a leader really was. Taking responsibility for every action, ever risk calculated, and ever person, is viewed as a soldier first, then and a person. He can't lead a team if he thinks too much on how easy it would be for any of them to not come home. He thinks about every time he separates them into teams. He can't not think about it. Life so short and is so easily stolen away.

Tula died.

Jason, his own brother died.

Tim filled his mask.

Ted Kord died, another person filled the scarab. A teenager was joined with alien tech.

The more he thought about it the more he realized he could never go back to being thirteen years old with what he didn't realize then, innocence.

Funny, when he was thirteen he felt like he'd seen so much; was a mature teenager. He didn't know how much Bruce protected him from. He was thankful for it now, no reason to ruin whatever a childhood he had left.

Innocence, that they all lost slowly. Wally and Artemis were smart to retire when they did, Tula's death shook everyone. Kaldur's innocence had been chipped away slowly, leader of the original team for years took its toll, Tula died, then Black Manta claimed him as his son with indisputable evidence of his heritage. Kaldur had been a good leader, for many years he always made it look easy. M'gann it was a slow process, slipping down a slope that isn't easy to climb back. What was an enemy's mind when it could potentially save a team mate's life? It was so easy and she never regretted it. Things had changed she wasn't naive anymore, she knew what she was doing. Superboy wasn't angry any more. The rage that used to be prominent, on the surface had died down. He had learned social interaction, but after school he didn't have normal friends. Connor didn't even have M'gann anymore.

Heroes, on the outside it seems they never lose, they're always strong. No one remembers that they're just kids, trying to do there best to make the world a better place. They all grew up too fast.

Dick grew up the night that his parents fell. Robin was something he needed. He needed to see that somehow justice did happen. He liked being apart of it, justice was something that was rare, providing it to others was something that felt right.

Artemis needed to prove to herself that she wasn't what her father trained her to be. She needed to feel needed, apart of something larger, and when Batman and Green Arrow asked her to join the team she couldn't say yes fast enough. That was the chance she could prove once and for all that she could do the right thing. She never expected to make friends. Artemis knew people who got close to her left, but these teenagers didn't leave her.

Kaldur saw being the Aqualad as a responsibility. He became Aqualad because it was a once in a lifetime chance. A great honor he didn't think twice before he agreed to become his King's protege. He had a great life that got better on the surface. He trained and worked hard. Being a leader wasn't easy and he didn't expect it to be.

Wally wasn't bound by honor, justice, or a need to fit in, he became Kid Flash because he genuinely liked helping people. Speed became something he appreciated more and more. Helping others, even as cocky as he projected he loved the thrill of saving people. Foiling villains plans and running with his Uncle Berry was fun.

M'gann wanted to come to earth since the first time she watched TV. It was magical, the problems could be fixed easily. She fell in love with the idea of friends. People she could trust and maybe even...like her. Earth and a team of hero's was better than she hoped when she stowed away on her uncle's ship. Friends were something she didn't want to live without ever again.

Connor had aspired to be Superman. He tried in his own way to be the best he could. He learned more than he ever thought possible. He was angry all the time at Superman, why didn't he realize he didn't ask to be created? Slowly, he was accepted in the team, even if Superman didn't trust him his teammates did. That was good enough for him.

Five years later, they will never be those kids again.

Nightwing swore he would protect his team the best he could. Even though every decision seemed to be the wrong one. Every move a step back. The whole earth in peril. He didn't even have his mentor on the planet. He had almost forgot what it felt like to be whelmed, overwhelmed seemed to be a permanent setting for his life lately. He hoped with every decision he made that it wasn't the wrong one.

 **He** will never be that **kid** again.

 **They** will never be those **kids** again.

Innocence can't be retrieved after it's been stolen.

 **AN**

 **Review, if you deem it worthy.**

 **I Hate/Love the second season the original team changed so much.**


End file.
